Symbolism in The Scarlet LetterCarl Jung believed that the source of symbols is universal. Symbols arise from the collective unconscious common to all humans around the world. Joseph Campbell's research supports this theory; it traces universal archetypes through the stories, myths, and artworks of various cultures. While most work done on symbolism has focused on the universality of symbols, Nathaniel Hawthorn focuses on their personal, subjective meanings. A universal symbol arises from the symbol's relationship with reality; thus, such a symbol remains the same across cultures and in different individuals. Although symbols can be created, these created symbols are subjective and must have meaning in context. As the context is different between individuals and societies and can vary over time, the meanings of symbols also vary greatly. The letter, the most important symbol is the letter A which Hester Prynne is condemned to wear, having been found guilty of adultery. Literally, the letter A is an arbitrary visual representation of particular sounds used in languages. Nothing in the shape of the letter A or any other aspect of one's being represents adultery. This form is accepted by people who use the Roman alphabet to begin the series of marks that visually signify the word adultery. This is not a universally symbolic relationship. The letter A means nothing in itself until the Puritans agree on a meaning to mark Hester and this meaning is changed according to the state of mind of those who interpret it. Hester, with this "mark of shame on her breast," is meant "to be a living sermon against sin" (59), but the people of Boston "had begun to regard the scarlet letter as the sign, and not as the of a single sin... but of his many good deeds since. The scarlet letter had the effect of a cross on the breast of a nun. Some people are starting to say that A means “able” (148). Another example of the changing symbolism of the letter A is the astronomical event witnessed by Arthur Dimmesdale and others on the night of Governor Winthrop's death. "Dimmesdale as: a man made morbidly self-contemplative". . . had extended his selfishness over the entire expanse of nature.